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“Thank you.” She had tears in her eyes. I had no idea when she’d last had her hair done. She usually wore it in a ponytail or bun.
She sat in the center chair, and I let myself out. I quickly checked that all her boxes were stored, as requested, in the storage unit I kept in case I bought an extra car. My heart was happy that she was here. My life had been… dull. Now I had a reason to smile every day.
The blogger was wrong about her. I’d spent an hour talking to Jeff to see if there was any way to get an injunction against them. He’d suggested taking fewer walks with her on the street without security.
I grabbed a cup of water and read the news until the door opened. She came out with her blond hair down, wearing a pink dress. She looked curvy and sexy. I was glad I was sitting behind a counter so she couldn’t see how she affected me as she twirled and showed me her new hair style and how the dress clung to her backside.
She stopped next to me. “Do I look like your girlfriend now?”
I kissed her cheek and then backed up. “You always did. Let’s get going.”
She stayed next to me as we returned to the limo. The driver knew the route, and a few minutes later, we were heading to a rooftop bar near my parents’ investment bank. As we headed up the stairs I hadn’t climbed in years, we ran into Jeffrey Lauglin.
I held Avril’s waist as he stared at her breasts and asked, “Avril, this is Kir Norouzi?”
“You two briefly met already.” Avril inched closer to me. A second man with a beer belly joined Lauglin as Avril said, “Kir, this is Richard Ziff, my boss. Richard, this is Kir.”
Richard clasped my arm like he’d shake it out of its socket. “Nice to meet you. Can we get you a drink?”
I took my hand back. “I’m good. Thank you.”
Richard got pulled away by a few of his coworkers, and I wanted to walk Avril to the corner to see the view, but Lauglin asked, “So, what’s your relationship like with your brothers, Roman and Xerses?”
I wasn’t sure about this guy. He focused too much on Avril. “Great. Why?”
He placed his hands in his pockets. “They’re possibly buying us out.”
Avril stared at me, and her eyes were wide. I raised my shoulders as she asked, “They are?”
“I didn’t expect you would know everything, Avril,” Lauglin said.
“I didn’t know.” I stepped in front of Avril. “I work with Charlie and a start-up airline. They run a tech company.”
Lauglin said, “Rumor is, your family gets together every weekend to discuss global domination.”
I tensed. We often went to Virgin Cove for a getaway or to see each other, but most of the time, we talked about who was next to get married, and we didn’t discuss business.
Avril tugged my arm. “Let’s go join Ziff and the others.”
We waved goodbye. Once we were out of earshot, I whispered, “So, Lauglin is a jerk.”
She squeezed my arm, and her soft touch calmed me. “I could have told you that. Are your brothers buying my company?”
I patted her hand. “You know as much as I do right now.” However, if they were buying Avril’s company, I had the perfect suggestion for who should run their data analysis. “They own a tech start-up, so I can understand if you’re doing horizontal or vertical work that might blend with their plans, but they don’t include me in their business discussions.”
We made it to the appetizer bar, and Avril took a stuffed mushroom. “I totally understand. Abigail didn’t always include me in every detail of her life, up to and including when she was first diagnosed with cancer. She tried to keep it from me for a few months.”
I watched her eat her food. Her lips were sweet. When she finished, I asked, “Why?”
She met my gaze, and it was like we were alone. “She didn’t want me to worry. I imagine your brothers haven’t told you because they have no idea where I work.”
“You can talk to them at the wedding,” I said. And they can unofficially interview you for a possible takeover.
Ziff returned to our side. “What are you two discussing?”
I held Avril. “How Lauglin wondered if I was colluding with my brothers about a takeover.”
His eyes widened. “He asked you that?”
